Overload protection chamber for fluid separation apparatus and system

Abstract

A mixed fluid separator apparatus includes an overload protection chamber that prevents a large and sudden influx of oil from fouling a coalescing separator. To prevent sudden influx of a large concentration of oil from overwhelming the coalescing separator, a separate overload protection chamber is connected to a main coalescing separator apparatus. The overload protection chamber includes a water drain (majority water with some oil) to the main coalescing separator apparatus and an oil overflow (majority oil with some water) to drain excess oil when necessary to prevent overfilling of the coalescing separator apparatus. The overload protection chamber functions to rapidly separate and remove heavy concentrations of oil, protecting the main coalescing separator apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A mixed fluid separator apparatus comprising:
 an overload protection chamber and a coalescing separator apparatus;
 the overload protection chamber comprising:
 a chamber bounded by walls for containing the mixed fluid; 
 a lower drain fluidly coupled to the coalescing separator apparatus; 
 a mixed fluid inlet; and 
 an overflow drain positioned higher than the lower drain; 
 
 the coalescing separator apparatus comprising:
 a containment well configured to include a coalescing media therein; 
 an inlet fluidly coupled to the lower drain disposed on a first end wall and an outlet on a second end wall, the first and second end walls on opposite sides of the coalescing media; 
 at least one of a surface-skimming drain at least partially in the containment well and a surface skimming device at least partially in the containment well; and 
 a weir structure comprising a weir front wall and a weir middle wall; 
 
 whereby a path is configured for fluid to flow under the weir front wall and over the weir middle wall to a compartment with the outlet. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The mixed fluid separator of  claim 1 , wherein the surface skimming device is present and the surface skimming device is a tube skimmer drive unit including an oleophilic tube that extends into the containment well. 
     
     
       3. The mixed fluid separator of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the surface-skimming drain and the surface skimming device are configured to drain into the overflow protection chamber. 
     
     
       4. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the overflow drain is positioned at a height to allow the weight of mixed fluid to push a bottom layer of the mixed fluid through the lower drain. 
     
     
       5. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet of the coalescing separator apparatus is configured to be open to allow about the same fluid volume to pass through as the outlet of the coalescing separator apparatus in combination with the surface-skimming drain. 
     
     
       6. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a height of the weir front wall is higher than a height of the weir middle wall; and
 the weir middle wall extends to a bottom of the weir or the containment well and the front wall does not extend to the bottom of the containment well. 
 
     
     
       7. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein overload protection chamber comprises a top fluid layer and a bottom fluid layer and the top fluid layer is 100% to 75% oil and the bottom fluid layer is 100% to 75% water. 
     
     
       8. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the overload protection chamber holds a larger volume of mixed fluid than the coalescing separator apparatus. 
     
     
       9. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mixed fluid is oil and water. 
     
     
       10. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the overload protection chamber rapidly and partially separates the oil and the water, and the separated water contains entrained oil in an amount of 1% to 25% oil. 
     
     
       11. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the overload protection chamber rapidly and partially separates the oil and the water, and the separated water contains entrained oil in an amount of 3% to 15% oil. 
     
     
       12. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the overload protection chamber rapidly and partially separates the oil and the water, and the separated water contains entrained oil in an amount of 4% to 10% oil. 
     
     
       13. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the overload protection chamber rapidly and partially separates the oil and the water, and the separated oil contains water in an amount of 1% to 25% water. 
     
     
       14. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the overload protection chamber rapidly and partially separates the oil and the water, and the separated oil contains water in an amount of 3% to 15% water. 
     
     
       15. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the overload protection chamber rapidly and partially separates the oil and the water, and the separated oil contains water in an amount of 4% to 10% water. 
     
     
       16. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the overload protection chamber limits a maximum of 10% oil content in the mixed fluid transferred to coalescing separator apparatus. 
     
     
       17. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the overload protection chamber limits a maximum of 8% oil content in the mixed fluid transferred to the coalescing separator apparatus. 
     
     
       18. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the overload protection chamber limits a maximum of 5% oil content in the mixed fluid transferred to the coalescing separator apparatus. 
     
     
       19. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the overload protection chamber stops a flow of the mixed fluid to the coalescing separator apparatus based on a quantity of the oil in the overload protection chamber. 
     
     
       20. The mixed fluid separator apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the overload protection chamber does not contain coalescing media.